Sister M. Teresa Martin Caronia Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Sister M. Teresa Martin Caronia, SSND died on Sunday, May 3, 2020, at St. Anthony’s Gardens in Covington, Louisiana. Sister Teresa’s long life of almost 96 years permeated three spheres of influence: her family, the learners she contacted over 36 years in formal education, then those she helped to grow in spirit and comfort in their diminishing years. Sister Teresa was born in New Orleans, La., on June 17, 1924. In baptism she was given the name “Lena”. She was the second of five daughters born to Mary (Triola) and Anthony Caronia. One sister, Anna Mary, also became a School Sister of Notre Dame. Lena attended St. Alphonsus Elementary School and Redemptorist High School in New Orleans. Upon graduation in 1941, Lena began preparation to become a School Sister of Notre Dame. During three years of spiritual and professional preparation, Lena was received into the congregation and was given the name, “Teresa Martin”. After profession of vows in 1944, Sister Teresa Martin began her teaching ministry. For 21 years she taught at St. Anthony School in Baton Rouge. First as a teacher of primary school children, then the last few years as the school’s principal. Educational leadership called her to be principal of Our Lady of Prompt Succor School in Chalmette, La. Sister Teresa was always recognized as a competent professional in teaching primary children. It was for her special ability in teaching them the art and skills of reading that Sister Teresa was hired in 1977 as a consultant in the education office of the Dallas Diocese. In 1981, Sister Teresa was asked to apply her compassion, her learning, and her organization skills as Community Coordinator for the Sisters in the St. Mary of the Pines Retirement Home in Chatawa, MS. She continued this work with retirees when she accepted the position as manager of Nazareth Inn II in New Orleans in 1983. Her sister, Sister Anna Mary was administrator of the complex and manager of Nazareth Inn I. In 1999, they too joined the group of retirees and resided on the West Bank until 2014 when both retired to St. Mary of the Pines in Chatawa. Sister Anna Mary died in Chatawa in 2015. Though Sister Teresa experienced a memory loss that was slight in its beginnings and gradually increased, she retained interest in all things educational and in the management of an institution. Sister Teresa Martin, with thirty other School Sisters of Notre Dame, moved from the St. Mary of the Pines Campus to St. Anthony’s Gardens in Covington, Louisiana in the autumn of 2019. The following months saw her continued decline until her peaceful death on Sunday. Sister Teresa Martin is survived by her sister, Margaret Molaison and a number of nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother Frank who died before she was born, her sisters Rosalie, Anna Mary, and Frances. The School Sisters of Notre Dame and members of the Caronia family wish to thank the staff of St. Anthony’s Gardens for the compassionate care of Sister Teresa. With respect to the gathering restrictions of the current pandemic, a private burial took place at St. Mary of the Pines Cemetery, Chatawa, Mississippi on May 6, 2020. The School Sisters of Notre Dame and the family will announce a memorial service on a later date. In lieu of flowers a memorial contribution in her name may be made to the School Sisters of Notre Dame. St. Mary of the Pines, Chatawa, Mississippi. Arrangements entrusted to Serenity Funeral Home, Covington, LA. Condolences and tributes can be posted at www.serenitycovington.com